Australian red meat producers and stakeholders are invited to attend Red Meat 2018 in Canberra – with registrations now open and a strong program of activities unveiled.

Red Meat 2018 is the red meat industry’s flagship event and will be held across 20-23 November.

Red Meat 2018 brings together the Australian red meat and livestock industry’s leadership and producers from around the nation. The program includes producer tours, the latest research, innovation and marketing insights, a trade show and digital forum, a business breakfast and unrivalled networking opportunities.

The program also includes an MLA and red meat industry forum as well as the formal proceedings of MLA’s 2018 Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The final two days will offer a range of producer tours tailored to specific issues including genetics, feedbase and eating quality to provenance, marketing and meeting customer needs. There will also be the opportunity to participate in a two-day Digital Forum that will involve a Field Day.

Red Meat 2018 is open to all members of the red meat and livestock industry. The event is free but registration is essential to assist with planning and catering requirements.

Global Markets Forum

The opportunities for Australia’s red meat industry may appear endless, with demand set to remain strong as the growing global middle class seeks more protein in their diet. However, it won’t just happen.

Our industry’s future prosperity will depend on access to free and open markets, promoting our points of difference and meeting changing consumer needs better and faster than our competitors.

A one-off Global Markets Forum at Red Meat 2018 in Canberra on Tuesday, 20 November 2018 will be headlined by MLA’s team of red meat market experts and will discuss the latest global market insights and trends.

Trade flows of Australian beef in 2017-18

MLA General Manager – International Markets, Michael Finucan, said the event provides producers with the opportunity to learn more about the evolving international trade environment, the steps our industry is taking to unlock the opportunities and the mega trends that will dictate the winners and losers in the battle for a place on the consumers’ plate.

Our industry is export driven that operates in a global environment, with issues such as global trade and market access and what influences consumers, acting as key profit drivers for our industry.
While the outlook for Australia’s red meat industry looks strong globally, it is vital as an industry we remain focused on understanding and meeting our customers and consumers needs to remain internationally competitive. - Michael Finucan

Delivered across three sessions, the forum will feature MLA’s red meat market experts along with expert speakers:

Transformation Forum

Red meat and livestock industry innovators who are transforming their businesses with new technology and systems will take centre stage at a special Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) forum ‘Transformation is coming…is your business ready?’ on 21 November in Canberra. The forum will be lead by MLA General Manager – MDC, Research, Development and Innovation, Sean Starling, and MLA General Manager – Producer Consultation and Adoption, Michael Crowley.

Panellists will include

Tom Maguire, General Manager Corporate Services, Teys Australia

Peter Greenham, Managing Director, Greenham Ag

Jenny O'Sullivan, Malabar Farm, Gippsland, Victoria

Sally Martin, CEO, MerinoLink

Kara Knudsen, Knudsen Cattle, Mundubbera, Queensland

David Foote, CEO, Australian Country Choice

New technology and the ability to share real-time, objective information across the supply chain is challenging old conventions and vested interests – and opening up new, profitable opportunities. - MLA General Manager – Producer Consultation and Adoption, Michael Crowley

Digital Forum

There’s a lot of hype about the rise in digital technology facilitating a better agricultural industry, but what does that mean for red meat? MLA’s Digital Forum will showcase some of the latest and greatest digital technology in action on the farm.

Day one of the forum on Thursday, 22 November, will feature a half-day field day at Carwoola Pastoral Company, a 2000-hectare mixed livestock and cropping enterprise.

MLA and various solution providers have installed a range of tools encompassing connectivity, animal monitoring and tracking, asset monitoring and tracking, human safety, analytics and user interfaces at Carwoola, and the five other properties under the management of Darren Price.

The afternoon session at Hotel Realm, Canberra, will focus on the topics of global consumers – expectations and transparency, and future leveraging of digital data. This session will also include Mr Price sharing his experiences in establishing digital farm infrastructure across the five properties under his management.

Day two on Friday, 23 November, runs from 8am to 3.30pm and will feature five sessions.

Topics will include leveraging non-red meat livestock technology for the benefit of the Australian industry, generating business and consumer data, connectivity solutions, digital supply chain trust and a possible digital future. Day two will enable attendees to hear first-hand from solution providers who have deployed their technology on Carwoola and other properties.

Producer Tours

Offering a valuable opportunity to tour local properties and witness innovation in farming systems, two Producer Tours will take place on Thursday, 22 November.

The first, taking place in the Yass district, will focus on genetics, feedbase and eating quality. Attendees will get an inside look into how producers are harnessing genetics, objective measurement and using pasture management tools to drive productivity and eating quality outcomes.

Head along in the morning to check out Ravenswood Station, part of Cavan Station group and home of the renowned Bogo Merino Stud.The afternoon program includes a tour of Alloura Angus Stud, a family owned operation breeding stud registered black Angus cattle under commercial conditions to meet domestic and export market demands.

The second Producer Tour, taking place in the Boorowa district, will focus on provenance, marketing and meeting customer needs. It’ll be an insight into how producers are developing commercial partnerships to meet customer demand, while still marketing their story to customers.

The morning program includes a visit to Gooramma Poll Dorsets, the fourth largest Poll Dorset stud in Australia, who provide seedstock to domestic and international markets and lamb to the major supermarket chains. The afternoon includes a visit to 'Hanaminno', ​where Charlie Arnott's family have bred and grown Shorthorn cattle and Merino and Dorset sheep for nearly 50 years.